New Delhi, May 10: Following are details of the helicopters that chief ministers in Indian states normally use:
Madhya Pradesh: A Bell-430 (double engine) purchased in 1998 and a Bell-407 (single engine) purchased in 2003. New Eurocopter EC-55 purchased in 2011.
Bihar: The state government uses a Bell 412
Chhattisgarh: Augusta A-109 which is used mainly by the CM.
Uttarakhand: One Eurocopter-made EC-135 twin-engine helicopter which is used mainly by the Governor and the CM.
Himachal Pradesh: The state was using Mesco's 26-seater helicopter (MI-172) for VVIP flights for over a decade.
Rajasthan: One Agusta A 109-E Power chopper, which has been in service since 2005.
Punjab: The state government has leased a Dauphin helicopter from Pawan Hans since 1993. The old chopper was replaced with a new Dauphin N-3 from Pawan Hans in 2008.
Haryana: A new Rs 33-crore EC-145 from Eurocopter in service since 2009.
Uttar Pradesh: In 2010 Uttar Pradesh has bought yet another chopper Agusta Grand, made by British-Italian firm Agusta 109, was bought at Rs40 crore. UP Government already has three Bell choppers— a Bell 230, a Chetak and a brand new Bell 412.
West Bengal: The state government uses a Pawan Hans — a seven-seater, twin-engine Dauphin.
Maharastra: State govt buys 8-seater chopper worth R52 crore for its VVIPs on December 07, 2011.
Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan was handed over the keys of the brand new US-made Sikorsky 76, an eight-seater helicopter and the state's latest buy. The state government purchased the helicopter for Rs52 crore last year and now has a fleet of four aircrafts, including a Cessna fixed-wing aircraft, Dauphin VT-MJ copter and a King Air 350 copter. The Cessna and the S-76 will be now used for VIP trips, while the remaining two choppers are grounded.
Jammu and Kashmir : The state government has one King Air-350 aircraft and two helicopters Bell-407 and Augusta-109E, he said, adding that these aircraft and choppers are meant to facilitate the movement of dignitaries.
CM Omar abdullah helicopter
Gujarat government's aviation department, one which should alert VVIPs who fly the Eurocopter Dauphin-N3 chopper purchased by the Gujarat government in 2007
Northeast: While none of the governments of the northeastern states own choppers, defence or Pawan Hans helicopters are frequently used by VIPs.
